ALBANY — Some news from this past Friday's Siena game: Mitch Buonaguro still knows a thing or two about basketball.

The much-maligned Saints coach conjured a pretty good strategy against an Iona team many think will win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, running a patient offense and zone defense that slowed the game to a crab-walk and stifled the high-scoring Gaels.

"It's a carbon copy of what's been going on all year," he fumed. "It's very disappointing."

Buonaguro had been so positive through this 10-game losing streak, you'd swear he was auditioning for a role in "Annie," insisting you can take a 28-point home loss to La Salle on the chin, grin and look forward to the sun coming out tomorrow.

But sooner or later, his frustration was bound to boil over. Buonaguro's forte always has been X's and O's, strategy and tactics, but it must be maddening to realize Siena's problems can't be solved on a dry-erase board.

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The Saints aren't on the way to the worst season in their Division I history because of how Buonaguro uses timeouts or substitutes or relies on a zone defense, either.

The problem is much more fundamental: The team's formula doesn't add up.

In a guard-oriented league, Siena's best player is a big man. In a conference generally ruled by experience, the Saints have but one senior.

Of course, this being college basketball and not the NBA, Buonaguro ultimately bears responsibility for a roster with poor class balance and too little depth. He hasn't gotten lucky, either.

His first recruiting class, so important, included guard Rakeem Brookins and swingman Trenity Burdine, both of whom missed entire seasons with injuries and dealt with off-the-court issues. Also worth noting: That class could have included forward Melsahn Basabe, who followed Fran McCaffery to Iowa and landed on the Big Ten all-freshman team.

That was a pivotal class, because it followed the graduation of three of the best players in program history (Ronald Moore, Alex Franklin and Edwin Ubiles). But it yielded only two players who rarely even have been on the court together.

The following year's freshman class of six was similarly hit-and-miss. The NCAA ruled the two Africans (Lionel Gomis and Imoh Silas) ineligible for a year. Gomis since left the program. So did Davonte Beard. Marcus Hopper never plays.

That leaves three players, now sophomores: Rob Poole, Evan Hymes and Silas.

All three have shown potential, but there's precious little depth behind them — it's too early to pass judgment on this freshman class — or experience to guide them. Simply, they're not enough.

"When I go to the bench, there's youth," Buonaguro said. "I don't have a lot of options."

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What the Saints do have, at least, is O.D. Anosike, who seems resolved not to allow his senior year to turn into a punch line.

He, too, was visibly frustrated after losing to Iona, but also steadfast in believing in Buonaguro hasn't lost the locker room.

"I'm extremely confident," Anosike said. "By no means do I think my teammates have given up. I'm not giving up."

Neither is Buonaguro, even though he must be frustrated beyond words to know he can't employ the one strategy that might fix this team: a trade.